Office of the Premier

Hockey Canada, on behalf of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), has announced the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship will return to British Columbia. The Site Selection Committee awarded the tournament to the Province of B.C. and BC Hockey in a live press conference from Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson is leading a delegation of more than 25 senior executives from B.C.'s forest companies and associations to Japan and China.
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Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation

Protecting lands, water and the natural world. That’s the overarching mission of the Gitanyow stewardship guardians and, for the past five years, the guardians have been monitoring fish, wildlife, hunting activities and environmental impacts in Gitanyow traditional territory.
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Advanced Education

Canadians will be better equipped for the well-paying middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow as a result of a $13.8-million investment in the College of New Caledonia for a new heavy-mechanical trades-training facility.
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Agriculture

As B.C. wines continue to be recognized for their quality and distinction, wine lovers are looking for more details to distinguish where the wine they enjoy is produced, and the B.C. government is providing those assurances.
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Children and Family Development

A final report from the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s special advisor provides 85 recommendations to overhaul British Columbia’s Indigenous child welfare system and improve outcomes for Indigenous children and youth by changing focus from intervention and separation to strengthening families.
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Community, Sport and Cultural Development

Hockey Canada, on behalf of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), has announced the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship will return to British Columbia. The Site Selection Committee awarded the tournament to the Province of B.C. and BC Hockey in a live press conference from Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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Energy and Mines

With the holiday season underway, it’s important to remember that many of the gifts British Columbians will purchase this year have a homegrown connection to B.C. resources such as minerals and steelmaking coal.
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Environment

The Province will build on its world-renowned provincial parks system by hiring more park rangers to enhance conservation, improving services for persons with disabilities and launching a new BC Parks Foundation so community groups, businesses and individuals can come together and have a voice in BC Parks priorities.
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Finance

British Columbia’s Second Quarterly Report continues to forecast increased revenues and reduced debt, demonstrating that government’s ongoing fiscal prudence, economic diversification and debt reduction continue to have a positive impact on the provincial economy.
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Health

In response to the increasing number of overdose-related deaths, the Province is opening additional health-care supports in partnership with health authorities and community partners. Supports include stationing the BC Mobile Medical Unit and setting up overdose prevention sites at overdose hot spots.
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International Trade

The B.C. government’s commitment in the #BCTECH Strategy to improve access to capital is paying off as B.C. tech companies are taking advantage of the Province’s venture capital programs to reach new levels of growth.
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Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training

Up to 200 people in Greater Vancouver are receiving the training they need for jobs in their communities, thanks to the federal-provincial partnership under the Canada-B.C. Job Fund Agreement.
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Justice

Government is acting to ensure greater safety and protection of those experiencing or are at risk of family violence, by using professional process servers for delivery of protection orders at no cost to applicants, in all regions of the province.
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Natural Gas Development

As cooler weather moves in throughout the province, communities have almost 1,000 extreme weather shelter beds ready to be activated if conditions threaten the health and safety of homeless individuals.
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Small Business and Red Tape Reduction

‘Tis the season of dinner parties, office gatherings, and holiday festivities! While it is important to enjoy the holiday season with friends and family, BC Liquor Stores throughout the province have an important message for British Columbians: Good hosts don’t let guests drink and drive.
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Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services

The B.C. government’s commitment in the #BCTECH Strategy to improve access to capital is paying off as B.C. tech companies are taking advantage of the Province’s venture capital programs to reach new levels of growth.
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Economy

With the holiday season underway, it’s important to remember that many of the gifts British Columbians will purchase this year have a homegrown connection to B.C. resources such as minerals and steelmaking coal.
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Government Operations

With the holiday season in full swing, the Government of B.C. is reminding British Columbians to celebrate safely and make good decisions when riding in limousines, including limo buses, during celebrations.
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Services

More than 60 teachers from the Lower Mainland gathered at the Microsoft Centre of Excellence in downtown Vancouver to learn basic coding techniques from some of the best instructors in the industry – all to make sure B.C. students have the skills they need to succeed in today’s changing world.
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Justice

Impaired driving down, 104 lives saved under tough law

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Honourable Suzanne Anton

Suzanne Anton was elected to represent the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview in 2013 after a distinguished career at the municipal level. She was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice on 10 June 2013.

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Justice

Government is acting to ensure greater safety and protection of those experiencing or are at risk of family violence, by using professional process servers for delivery of protection orders at no cost to applicants, in all regions of the province.
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VANCOUVER - Two years after B.C. introduced Canada's toughest provincial impaired driving law, an estimated 104 lives have been saved and impaired driving has dropped significantly.

At an event today to mark the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims and Mothers Against Drunk Driving's 25th annual Project Red Ribbon, Justice Minister and Attorney General Shirley Bond announced preliminary road-crash fatality data for the two years ending Sept. 30, 2012, and the results of a recent driver impairment survey.

Since the September 2010 launch of the immediate roadside prohibition (IRP) program, the number of alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths has decreased to an average of 62 a year. This represents a 46 per cent decrease from the average of 114 in each of the previous five years. This success well exceeds government's goal, set in 2010 in honour of impaired driving victim Alexa Middelaer, to reduce alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by 35 per cent by the end of 2013.

Government also released today an independently conducted survey of drivers in Abbotsford, Kelowna, Prince George, Saanich and Vancouver. It took place in June 2010 and June 2012 as part of an evaluation of the impact of B.C.'s IRP legislation. The 2012 Roadside Alcohol and Drug Survey found 44 per cent fewer drivers had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) 0.05 per cent and over - and nearly 60 per cent fewer drivers were at or over the Criminal Code threshold of 0.08 per cent. The results also showed that levels of drinking and driving were the lowest recorded in the history of seven similar surveys conducted since 1995.

More than 82 per cent of drivers said they were aware of the sanctions.

90 per cent felt the legislation would make roads safer.

30 per cent said the new law prompted a change in their behaviour.

Asked to rate how inconvenient they thought certain immediate sanctions were, more than two-thirds of respondents saw B.C.'s lengthy driving prohibitions and vehicle impoundment for impaired driving as a "complete inconvenience."

53 per cent said they had been stopped in a police alcohol check in the last two years - and nearly half thought there was a good likelihood of being stopped if they drove after consuming too much alcohol.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"It's encouraging to note that, as you drive home late at night, the car coming toward you is far less likely to be piloted by an impaired driver than at any time in recent years. More people are getting the message that it's up to each of us to further road safety, by driving sober and following the rules of the road - and it's paying off by saving lives."

"Today we honour the memory of road crash victims, and reaffirm our government's commitment to continue to examine more ways to encourage responsible, safe driving."

Chief Const. Peter Lepine, president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police -

"From an enforcement standpoint, it's clear that many people are planning ahead and avoiding driving after drinking - while those who don't are facing the full consequences under the law. Saving lives and preventing injuries is our bottom line, and we will continue to enforce IRPs to build on the clear and dramatic results to date."

Andy Murie, chief executive officer, MADD Canada -

"When B.C. introduced its IRP sanctions in 2010, we said we believed that these major, escalating penalties and mandatory remedial programs would better support both deterrence and enforcement, save lives and prevent hundreds of injuries each year. The prevalence survey supports that belief. B.C. has set a new benchmark in reducing impaired driving and the related death toll on its roads."

Quick Facts:

In the five years before the IRP program, alcohol-related crashes claimed an average of 114 lives each year. In the first year of the IRP program, the fatality total was 66, representing 48 lives saved. In the second year, the preliminary total is 58, representing 56 lives saved.

In B.C., drivers impaired by alcohol face immediate penalties that may take away their vehicle, their licence, and cost them anywhere from $600 to more than $4,000 in administrative penalties and remedial program costs.

Project Red Ribbon is MADD Canada's longest-running public awareness campaign. The ribbon - displayed on lapels, vehicles, key rings and elsewhere - reminds Canadians to drive sober through the holiday season and the year. It also serves as a tribute to those killed and injured in impaired driving crashes.

Government Communications and Public EngagementMinistry of Justice250 356-6961

BACKGROUNDER

Impairment survey: drivers aware, cautious of sanctions

The 2012 Roadside Alcohol and Drug Survey involved more than 2,500 vehicles in five communities throughout B.C., collecting voluntary breath and mouth-fluid samples, and questioning participants about their awareness of and perspectives on B.C.'s approach to impaired driving.

Notable findings:

Of participating drivers whose breath tested positive for alcohol this year, two-thirds were below the "warn" threshold of 0.05 per cent BAC.

In Vancouver and Saanich, the percentage of drivers with a BAC at or above the Criminal Code threshold of 0.08 per cent fell by 75 per cent between 2010 and 2012.

Only Vancouver and Saanich have been involved in all seven surveys conducted since 1995. In 2012, less than one-third as many surveyed drivers in these cities had a BAC at or above 0.05 per cent, compared to 1995 (1.6 per cent in 2012 versus 5.2 per cent in 1995).

Men and women were equally likely to be aware of B.C.'s IRP law. In every city, at least 79 per cent of respondents were aware of the IRP law, with the highest awareness - 89 per cent - in Kelowna.

Drivers aged 25 to 54 were most likely to have changed their behaviour as a result of the legislation, while those under 25 were most likely to say they never drink and drive.

The survey found no drivers aged 16 to 18 who had been drinking, and noted, "This may be considered to be a benefit of the graduated licensing program... that restricts drivers with a 'Learner' or 'Novice' (i.e., 'L' or 'N') licence to a zero BAC."

Responses to the survey suggest far fewer drivers who had consumed alcohol were coming from drinking establishments than in 2010. Notably, in 2012, only 14.9 per cent of drivers who had consumed alcohol were coming from a bar, pub or nightclub, compared to 34.6 per cent in 2010.

Drinking and driving was least prevalent on Saturday nights. Survey nights ran from Wednesday to Saturday.

The conduct of the survey itself supported road safety. All participants whose breath sample contained 0.05 per cent BAC or higher, who appeared intoxicated, or who indicated they held a learner or novice licence and had any BAC, were provided with a safe ride home.

The survey report's authors suggest that drivers who refused to participate in the voluntary survey were not necessarily drinking drivers. They note that analysis of such factors as vehicle type and the time of the night "suggests that those who refuse to participate share factors that more closely resemble non-drinking drivers than drinking drivers."

The prevalence of drug use by drivers was essentially unchanged from 2010. Although there is no instrument-based roadside test for drug impairment in Canada, nearly 1,500 police officers throughout B.C. are trained to detect drug impairment. Suspected drug-impaired drivers can be required to submit to a blood test and a complete drug recognition evaluation by a specially trained drug recognition expert - the results of which may be used to support criminal charges.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public EngagementMinistry of Justice250 356-6961